Phlox plant named ‘Appofamwe’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Appofamwe’, characterized by its broadly upright and relatively compact plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit, numerous large white-colored flowers with red purple-colored centers; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘APPOFAMWE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox paniculata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Appofamwe’.

The new Phlox plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Andijk and Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact and vigorous Phlox plants with numerous large flowers.

The new Phlox plant originated from an open-pollination in August, 2009 in Andijk, The Netherlands, of an unnamed proprietary selection of Phlox paniculata, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with an unknown selection of Phlox paniculata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Phlox plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Hazerswoude-Dorp, The Netherlands in August, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Andijk, The Netherlands since 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phlox have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Appofamwe’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Appofamwe’ as a new and distinct Phlox plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright and relatively compact plant habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   3. Freely flowering habit, numerous large white-colored flowers         with red purple-colored centers.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox and the female parent selection differ primarily in growth habit as plants of the new Phlox are more uniform than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Phlox can also be compared to plants of Phlox paniculata ‘Barsixty’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,211. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Phlox and ‘Barsixty’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox are more vigorous than plants of         ‘Barsixty’.     -   2. Plants of the new Phlox and ‘Barsixty’ differ in leaf color         as plants of ‘Barsixty’ have lighter green-colored leaves.     -   3. Plants of the new Phlox have slightly larger flowers than         plants of ‘Barsixty’.     -   4. Plants of the new Phlox and ‘Barsixty’ differ in flower color         as plants of ‘Barsixty’ have flowers with darker-colored         centers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Phlox plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Phlox plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Appofamwe’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Appofamwe’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typically used in commercial Phlox production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 18° C. Plants were pinched five weeks after planting and were 19 weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox paniculata ‘Appofamwe’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Phlox paniculata, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Phlox             paniculata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 36 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 42 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; broadly             upright and relatively compact plant habit; overall shape,             broadly obovate; low vigor to moderately vigorous in growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 36 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 37.9 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: About eight primary lateral             branches per plant. Length: About 23.8 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 2.6 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Upright to about 35° from vertical. Texture and             luster: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: Close to             144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 10.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic; slightly carinate.         -   Apex.—Apiculate.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Entire; very finely serrate, inconspicious.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely             pubescent; slightly rugose and slightly rough; slightly             glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137B; venation,             close to 144A to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:             Close to between 146B and 147B; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm by             2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate and             salverform flowers arranged in compound terminal panicles;             flowers face upright to outwardly; panicles roughly             hemispherical in shape; freely flowering habit with about             150 flowers developing per inflorescence and about 1,200             flowers developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant; sweet, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about nine             months after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             continuously from July through September in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Color: Close to 75C to 75D;             developing tube, close to N77D; developing calyx, close to             145B, towards the apex, strongly tinged with close to 200C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 13.7 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 14.1 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube; free             parts touching to slightly imbricate. Length: Overall, about             3.7 cm; lower fused portion, about 2.1 cm. Lobe width: About             1.6 cm. Shape: Free part, spatulate. Apex: Straight to             broadly rounded and shallowly emarginate. Margin: Entire.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             moderately velvety; matte. Texture and luster, lower             surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety; slightly             glossy. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to NN155D;             towards the throat, close to N74A; throat, close to N77B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to NN155C; towards the             tube, close to 75C; tube, close to N77B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to NN155D; towards the throat, close to             NN74B; throat, close to N77B; with development, color             becoming closer to NN155C, towards the throat, slightly             tinged with close to NN74D and throat, close to 76C. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to NN155C; towards the tube,             close to 75C; tube, close to N77B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; calyx, campanulate. Length:             About 1 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Narrowly apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 144B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 145B; towards the apex, strongly tinged with close to             200C.         -   Peduncles.—Length, primary peduncles: About 10.8 cm.             Diameter, primary peduncles: About 3 mm. Length, secondary             peduncles: About 5.6 cm. Diameter, secondary peduncles:             About 1.5 mm. Aspect, primary peduncles: Erect. Aspect,             secondary peduncles: About 35° from vertical. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 40° from the peduncle axis. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five; filaments fused with petals. Filament length: About             1 mm. Filament color: Close to 155A. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong; basifixed. Anther color: Close             to 160C. Pollen amount: Scarce to moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 158D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 1.9 cm. Stigma shape: Cleft, three-parted.             Stigma color: Close to 150D. Style length: About 1.8 cm.             Style color: Close to N77C. Ovary color: Close to 143B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Phlox. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind, high     temperatures about 35° C. and to be winter hardy to USDA Hardiness     Zone 6. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Phlox have been not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Phlox     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Appofamwe’ as illustrated and described. 